Reminiscing
by 1a2a3d0
Summary: Its Thanksgiving and Bella is reminiscing about how her life got to be so full of love, warmth, and happiness.


I step back soaking in the warmth and noise of my family. It's my first time hosting Thanksgiving dinner and I can't help but think of all the things I have to be grateful for this year.

I can hear the men chattering in the living room, the women bustling around in the kitchen, and the giggles of children as they roam through the house. Though I insisted on having Thanksgiving dinner at our new house, my soon-to-be mother-in-law has taken over my kitchen. Her and my stepmother Sue got together weeks ago to plan the whole meal so that I wouldn't have to stress out about it. It makes me happy to see both my family and Edward's family getting together so seamlessly. We are truly one family now.

Moving from a small one-bedroom apartment of mine to this three-bedroom house has been a huge adjustment. With Edward in the middle of his residency, the house seems big and empty at times, which is why I insisted on dinner at our house. Esme wasn't too pleased, but acquiesced once I spoke to her about my loneliness and how I just wanted to fill the house with noise. To sweeten the deal, I promised her that she could still run the show and true to that promise from the moment she arrived this morning she has commandeered the kitchen sharing responsibility with Sue.

The noise from the living room rises as the men groan and grumble over the game and kids flit in and out of the kitchen trying to steal pieces of food from under their mothers' eyes. The pitter-patter of Alice and Rosalie's kids makes me long for that sound in our home all the time.

It won't be long now, I muse as I rub my belly where I feel our baby kicking. At just about eight months, I am huge. After Esme told me about how Edward and Emmett were both over eight pounds when they were born, I knew I stood no chance.

Actually, I think I stood no chance when I first met Edward.

He had come to pick up Rosalie and Emmett's daughter, Kate, from school. At Forks Elementary, all kindergarteners must be signed out before they can be taken home. I was Kate's teacher at the time and one look into Edward's sparkling green eyes and I knew I was a goner.

I was hesitant to trust his intentions, as I was painfully inexperienced when it came to men. A couple of dates here and there, with no real relationship were the extent of my past. On the other hand, I had heard rumors about the famous Edward Cullen, star of the soccer team and womanizer who had graduated high school just as I moved to Forks my sophomore year.

It wasn't that I didn't notice boys. They just didn't notice me, or I just was oblivious to their flirting. Charlie and Renee had been divorced for as long as I could remember and before I moved in with my stable, loving father and his girlfriend Sue I had no sense of what a real relationship should look like. My mother was a serial dater and somewhat of a cougar. Though she meant well I never liked the men she brought around and was hesitant to trust after that.

I tried to let Edward down gently, explaining to him why I was so reluctant to date. I had seen cheaters, heart breakers, abusers, and creepers. All sorts of men that always ended in my mom being heart broken and unable to function. When the men were good to her, she was good to me. When the men weren't so nice or left, her moods were so altered and she became so depressed she couldn't take care of me. Instead of being deterred, Edward called me out on my cowardice and slowly built my trust and a wonderful friendship.

Before I knew it, I was falling for his gentle soul. He was patient and understanding as I explored my first real relationship. He would tell people later, that my innocence was one of the things that drew him to me the most.

Our dates remained relatively chaste in a physical sense. I knew he had a lot of experience, but I had little to none. Emotionally, however, was a whole different story. I spent my days teaching kindergarteners their ABCs and eagerly anticipated my evenings with Edward. He slowly broke down my barriers until my heart was silly putty in his hands.

About four months into our relationship, I decided to take a step forward. I invited him to my apartment to cook dinner for him. Before then, our dates had taken place in public locations, neither of us having been in the other's personal space.

When I asked him to come over for dinner, I remember the disbelief in his voice, gently asking me if I was sure. When I told him I was, he agreed to come over.

The night was a bit awkward at first, with a sort of nervous energy buzzing between the two of us. Slowly we relaxed over dinner. He kept me laughing with stories about his week in the hospital. After dinner, I suggested a movie and he agreed.

We snuggled up on the couch and he pulled me as close to him as I could possibly go. The movie was playing but neither of us was paying attention. I could feel his heat seeping in through my clothes.I don't know who moved first, but suddenly we were kissing.

The tension mounted until I couldn't bear it, all I knew was that I need more.

Stolen kisses in cars and outside my apartment door were no longer enough. While I was ready to move further, I wasn't quite sure how to breach the subject. I must have tensed up because he pulled back immediately.

I couldn't find the words to tell him what I wanted, but somehow he knew. Instead of continuing, he gently pulled away from me telling me that he didn't want to go any further until we talked about it. We talked through it until I was comfortable. We didn't have sex that night, but we did progress in our physical relationship.

From then on, our nights were filled with sleepovers on the weekends and breakfast in the mornings. He wasn't the greatest cook, but he tried. The morning after the first night I spent as his place I awoke to the smell of something burning. As I made my way down to the kitchen, I saw Edward tugging on the ends of his hairs (his nervous habit) while smoke was rising from the stovetop. Needless to say, it was my job to cook after that.

Two months after our first sleepover, he asked me to meet his parents officially. In turn I asked him to meet Charlie and Sue. His family accepted me warmly. Before I knew it, I was a part of the family. Charlie was a little gruff at first, probably because this was the first man I had ever brought home. His babygirl was growing up, and he didn't like it one bit. Eventually, Charlie warmed up to him too.

A couple of weeks after that Esme invited Charlie and Sue over as well as Edward's siblings, their spouses, and their children. I couldn't believe how perfect it all went. Our families got along great. As I looked up at the green-eyed man who had changed my life for the better, I couldn't imagine how it could get any better.

About a year into our relationship I was starting to realize that the nights I spent without Edward, I had trouble sleeping. I anticipated rolling over and seeing his face in the mornings and cooking for one wasn't fun.

I realized I loved him. I was stunned. It crept up on me so slowly that I hadn't even realized what a permanent fixture he had become in my life.

When I told him so over dinner one night soon after, he smiled my favorite crooked grin of his and told me that he had felt that way for months now and was just waiting for me to catch up. Like a romantic cliché, we finally made love that night. I never knew I was capable of such a love.

Soon after, we started discussing those important words like marriage and children. He knew all about my qualms regarding marriage. My parents hadn't been the best example. On the other hand, his parents had been the greatest example of a marriage and it was something he wanted badly.

He kept trying to convince me on the benefits of marriage, but my little fears and insecurities prevented me from agreeing with him.

Over the next few months, he continued showering me with affection and my fears began to ebb away slowly.

My wonderful but germy, little kindergarteners got me sick and that's how this little baby was created. Antibiotics caused my birth control to be ineffective, something neither of us remembered at the time.

I can't say I regret it. It was the final piece of the puzzle. My little baby helped ease away the last of my fears. Edward had brought such joy into my life. He had helped me open my heart and feel things I had never felt before. Our families got along, we got along, and I wanted for our families and us to become one.

When I told Edward I thought I was pregnant he rushed out to the local pharmacy and grabbed seven pregnancy tests.

All seven were positive.

After that, life was a whirlwind.

Edward proposed; I accepted.

We bought a house and turned it into a home.

We created a life for our baby and ourselves.

Edward was incredibly supportive during this time, despite being in the middle of his residency. He attended all the doctor's appointments with me, went out in the middle of the night to appease my food cravings, and did endless work putting together a nursery for our baby. He's spent countless hours talking to the baby, rubbing my feet, and telling me I was beautiful, not fat.

Our families are thrilled and this baby is going to be so spoiled judging by the amount of things that have been accumulating from various members of the family before he/she is even born.

Which brings us to Thanksgiving.

A pair of arms goes around my swollen belly and a pair of lips presses against my neck.

"What's got you thinking so hard, sweetheart?"

I turn around and gaze into those warm, green eyes that I love so much.

"Nothing, just thinking about everything that's led us to this moment."

"Good thoughts?"

"Yes, of course."

A moment of silence passes between us as Edward places a hand on my belly and the baby pushes back against him.

"She's quite active today," he says grinning at me, "Go easy on your momma babygirl."

"**He** is doing just fine. Didn't start kicking until daddy came around. So I'm blaming you, not him."

He smirks at me, "that's because she is daddy's little girl already. She just wants my attention now that I'm here."

I smile at him and press my lips to his, "well daddy's little girl or not, she's going to have to share you with mommy."

He laughs, "I have plenty of room in my heart for both of my girls."

"Or boy," I say.

"Or boy," he concedes, "but I'm really thinking she's a girl, Bella. We can try again for your little momma's boy next."

"Already thinking of the next one?"

"As much as I can't wait to have this little one with us, I'm going to miss seeing you all round with my child."

"Well no matter how much you like it, I can't wait to get this baby out of here and into our arms. I just want to be able to see my feet again and not have an achy back."

"I know Bella, not much longer now."

I smile up at him, "I know and I can't wait."

Kate rushes past us, followed by Alice's little girl, Lily. Both girls are giggling and bright smiles are plastered upon their faces as they see us.

"Uncle Eddie and Auntie Bella sitting in a tree…" Kate sings as she darts pass us. Edward growls at both girls, making a move as to run after them.

Kate manages to get away, but Edward scoops Lily up and tickles her while Kate runs over to my side and hugs as much of my waist as she can while trying to feel the baby moving.

"What are you laughing at Lily girl?" He blows raspberries against her belly and throws her up into the air.

I love watching Edward with our nieces and nephews. He loves them so much and is such a great uncle.

I can't wait to see how he interacts with our baby. He's going to make a great dad and it makes my heart soft and gooey just thinking about what the two of them will look like together.

He releases Lily and the two girls run away giggling

"Edward, I'm glad we hosted Thanksgiving this year. It really sounds like a home now. Pretty soon, this place will be filled with constant noise."

"I'm glad too. I know things have been busy at the hospital lately. I don't mean to leave you alone so much; I know how you get lonely. I just want to take care of things and make sure everything is sorted out so that I can take my paternity leave when the baby gets here without having to worry."

"I know and its not so bad. Your mom, Sue, Rosalie, and Alice keep me busy. I know you told them to keep me company. At first I was a bit disgruntled about it, but I'm not anymore. I've loved the time I've spent with them and I love that you look out for me and take care of me even when you can't be there."

We stand there quietly for a few moments and let the noises of love and family filter into us.

"Bella!" Alice calls from the kitchen.

"Duty calls," I tell Edward.

"Alright little momma, off you go." He bends down and presses a kiss to my stomach, "Be good in there, baby. You've got the best mommy in the world and you better be good to her."

He stands up and presses a kiss to my lips. "Love you, sweetheart."

"Love you too," I tell him.

I continue into the kitchen and help put the finishing touches on the food. We set the table and call the men and children into the dining room.

Surrounded by Charlie and Sue, Carlisle and Esme, Rosalie and Emmett, and Alice and Jasper, I realize that despite growing up with my crazy mother and her even crazier boyfriends I have found a home where the relationships are stable and love is pouring out endlessly.

People are reaching and passing the food, children are making messes, and chaos is running rampant, but I wouldn't want it any other way.

I look over at Edward and as he feels my gaze on his, he leans down and presses a kiss to my lips as he places his hand on my belly where our baby is alive and kicking.

"Happy Thanksgiving Bella."

"Happy Thanksgiving Edward."

I glance around the table and smile. I press a hand to my belly and use the other hand to squeeze Edward's, Happy Thanksgiving indeed. There is much to be both happy and thankful about.


End file.
